"Although the .NET vs. Java war is basically over for control of the Windows desktop, where .NET is sure to become the managed language of choice for new Windows desktop applications, there is a new battle brewing. That battle is for the Linux desktop. Now that Java has been open sourced under the GPL, even the most strict of the 'free software only' distributions can start bundling it and integrating it into their Linux distributions out of the box."

Latest stable version of Solaris (Solaris 10 11/06) and my complaints so far - numbered so you can answer to each one of them:

I can create a much longer numbered list for Linux. I recently installed it after using Solaris. With the exception of not supporting my sound card, I had fewer issues getting Solaris installed than Linux (I was genuinely surprised). My system isn't anything fancy, just a home assembled set of stock components, so it is a bit amusing that Solaris was easier to install.

If you wan't to run Solaris on your desktop, use Solaris Express (think of it in the same way as the relationship between Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux). The express edition comes with proper NVidia drivers, unlike most linux distros. Perhaps that's why you find Swing slow?